Interview: Shay Shull Dishes on The Bachelor, Family Life, & Blogging

If you are a fan of The Bachelor or Bachelorette, you most likely know who Shay (Lowe) Shull is. If not, here is a little background for you. Sean Lowe was one of 25 men vying for the heart of Emily Maynard on season 8 of The Bachelorette. Sean made it to the final four, which is when he brought Emily home to Dallas, TX to meet his family. That’s where Shay, Sean’s sister comes in. I think I can speak for most viewers when I say, we all fell in love with Sean’s family. His mother and father seemed to have such a great marriage, life, and family, as well as Shay and her husband, Andrew. Not to mention their gorgeous kids, Kensington and Smith. Emily let Sean go the week after hometowns, leaving us, the viewers heartbroken for Sean. ABC didn’t let us down — Sean was announced as the new Bachelor. Sean’s family, including Shay played a large part in his quest to find love on both shows. Aside from being Sean’s sister, Shay has made a name for herself as the ‘Mix & Match Mama’ (such a cute name!), a lifestyle and food blogger. She shares tips for women on how to balance their home and work lives, as well as providing awesome, delicious recipes that make the process even easier. It doesn’t hurt that Shay has awesome style that she shares on her blog as well!

AL: What was your reaction to Sean being on The Bachelorette and then as The Bachelor?

SS: We were so excited about him being chosen for the Bachelorette! We knew it would be a once in a lifetime experience, and we also knew he would make us so proud. When he was picked as the Bachelor…well, that was surreal. I really can’t explain that one. It was just so surreal. He was starring in our very favorite TV show!

AL: Were you skeptical of the process?

SS: I had no reason to be skeptical, so we weren’t at all.

AL: What was your experience like during Sean’s season of The Bachelor? How was it different than his time on The Bachelorette? Was Sean able to share anything with you when he got sent home by Emily and when he chose Catherine?

SS: We really didn’t speak to Sean any more often when he was on the Bachelor than when he was on the Bachelorette. During the filming, everything was very hush-hush but once he came home, he was able to tell us everything (with both seasons).

Shea went to St. Croix to lend Sean her advice on the remaining women:

AL: We all saw how close Sean is with his family. How did you explain Sean going on both The Bachelor and The Bachelorette to Kensington and Smith? Were they allowed to watch the show on TV? What was their reaction? If you remember any hilarious quotes from them, please do share!

SS: We let our kids watch both seasons. Sean is a really big part of their lives and the show represented him and our family, so we let them watch both seasons (they were 2 & 3 during the Bachelorette and 3 & 4 during the Bachelor). They loved talking about Tierra! They still talk about Tierra and her tantrums.

You can see one of the BEST lines from Smith here:

AL: How did Sean being on the show change your life? Your family’s life? Do people stop you on the street and say hey, thats Sean’s sister? Are you referred to more as Sean’s sister in public now?

SS: I’m not sure that Sean being on the show changed my life but it did make the life that I have a little more public. I am still doing the same things now that I did before he joined the Bachelorette, just with a broader audience.

AL: When and what made you start Mix and Match Mama? What did you want to come out of it? How does that differ from shayshull.com?

SS: I started blogging about my life about a year before I became pregnant the first time. That blog has turned into a place for busy ladies trying to simplify their lives. I include tips and tricks, organization and of course, lots of pics of my family. I’ve had my original blog for over 6 years. My foodie blog came out of my original blog two years ago. I wanted that to be a specified place for me to share easy and simple recipes that busy women would love. I love blogging and hope to continue doing it for many years to come.

AL: We all saw your what seems to be ‘perfect’ family on both The Bachelor and Bachelorette. Was your family well represented, similar to what we saw on TV?

SS: Our family was represented well on both shows but I don’t think it accurately describes us. I have had many people say that our family looks “perfect”…well, it’s not. My family is great and I’m incredibly blessed but it’s far from perfect. What you saw on both of those shows was just 3 days out of our lives. We have a wonderful family but I would hate for anyone to think it’s perfect. No family is perfect.

AL: We saw what a wonderful husband you have in Andrew on the show, someone you describe as “a super funny, really smart, extremely hot (we all agree by the way!), former football player (who has the healthiest diet known to man-kind)”. How did you meet Andrew? It’s a good thing he has all of the qualities you mentioned because a Yankees fan and a Red Sox fan?! What a mix and match couple!

SS: Sean and Andrew played college football together at Kansas State and Sean introduced us. We’ve been married almost 10 years. We have very similar personalities, which works well for us. We’re both driven and hardworking and pretty passionate people. He’s a wonderful husband and a great father to our kids. I am very blessed to be his wife. His only flaw is that he’s a Yankee fan…but I have learned to overlook that :).

AL: What’s your favorite recipe of all time to make? It can be dinner or dessert (or both)!

AL: Where did you get your love for cooking? Did your parents cook a lot when you were growing up?

SS: My mom always cooked dinner growing up but she doesn’t have a love for food like I do. I started cooking and baking when I was in elementary school and found a passion. I love reading recipes, I love creating recipes, I love grocery shopping…I really love everything about the entire process. I am a foodie at heart.

AL: What was your first reaction when Sean announced he was on Dancing with the Stars? More importantly, what were some of Kensington and Smith’s reactions to Sean’s dancing skills?

SS: We were excited for Sean to do DWTS. I knew that would be out of his comfort zone because he’s not a dancer, so that made me even more proud of him. The kids thought it was awesome! We were all really, really proud!

AL: You recently announced that you and Andrew will be adopting a little girl, Ashby London (LOVE the name!). Congratulations! When will she officially be a part of your family? How did Kensington and Smith take the news? I’m sure they will both be great with their new little sister!

SS: We can’t really go into the details on Ashby but we’re very excited to have her in our family! Our kids talk about her non-stop :).

AL: Fun fact — How did you become a Red Sox fan? Or if your dad influenced you, how did he become a Red Sox fan from Texas? I’m personally with Andrew (a Yanks fan!) but have people in my family who are Red Sox fans…it’s a fun but tough rivalry!

SS: I went to Boston for the first time when I was 14 and fell in love. My dad and I started bonding over baseball and our love for Boston and it continues to grow each season. I love watching the Red Sox play every night at home but my favorite thing to do is watch them play in Fenway Park.

AL: We all envied your fashion and makeup picks during your appearances on The Bachelor and Bachelorette (I loved that green blouse from J. Crew!)…awesome fashion sense! What is your favorite clothing store? What is your favorite fall must have this year? For clothing and make up?

SS: I love Nordstrom, Gap and J Crew the most! I really try and buy basics and then add in a few trendy pieces each season. A great pair of jeans or boots will last you a long, long time. I am obsessed with accessories like jewelry and scarves and I love, love, love makeup! This season, I might try some flats for a change. I’m always wearing heels but I think this season, I might try some flat riding boots and ballet flats. I love feeling comfortable and confident in what I wear. You should wear the clothes, they shouldn’t wear you!

Want to see some of Shay’s fall must-haves? Check out her closet, updated for September here!